This film is somewhat paradoxical in that it gets about as low as you can go in terms of depth, but isn’t exactly deep.
In 2019 director Alex Parkinson released the documentary “Last Breath.” The film centered on an incident where a deep-sea diver tasked with repairing pipes was nearly lost when his umbilical cable snapped and he was left on the ocean floor. Parkinson has now followed that up with a feature length narrative film.
The movie showcases how Chris Lemons (Finn Cole) was cut off from the air supply on the seabed and ran out of oxygen. It also shows fellow divers Duncan (Woody Harrelson) and David (Simu Liu), as well as ship Captain Andre (Cliff Curtis) and repair supervisor Craig (Mark Bonnar) making rescue attempts.
“Last Breath” is what I consider a pure dramatization movie, aimed at recreating an event, but not much more. These types of dramatizations also exist on television, usually on channels like Discovery or National Geographic, but sometimes they make the leap to the big screen with a bigger budget.
Some recent ones include “Deepwater Horizon” and “The Finest Hours.” Usually, they’re able to provide adequate suspense and thrills, as well as displaying the strength of the human spirit. At the same time, they are often limited in their emotional resonance beyond wanting to see the protagonists survive, and don’t go beyond the real event itself.
As a result, a lot of these movies fall in the middle when it comes to quality, and that’s exactly where “Last Breath” ends up. Lemons’ tale, taking place in 2012, is harrowing and what he went through was no doubt intense. It keeps a viewer invested for the hour and a half runtime. However, there’s not much more to be invested in.
That’s not to say there’s nothing here to engage with. But there’s not really any intrigue, either. The movie doesn’t quite get into the larger subject matters at play such as how many have been lost in incidents like this, the importance of jobs like these and their existence in a world of growing automation. We could have used more time with Chris’ fiancé as well.
With all that said, “Last Breath” isn’t a negative experience at all. Lemons’ survival, and the effort by others to make sure it happens, makes for some captivating scenes and set pieces.
Credit certainly should go to Parkinson and his team for their work in recreating the circumstances of the dive, too, from Lemons’ survival near the bottom of the ocean to the claustrophobic nature of their work environment. It’s a convincing watch that puts the viewer into the moment.
Less convincing is some of the dialogue featured in the film, which can be a bit rough here and there. However, the film is aided by the presence of Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson and experienced cast members like Cliff Curtis and Mark Bonnar.
“Last Breath” is a fine film, nice to see at a matinee for a quick 90 minutes with some true story thrills. It doesn’t quite offer the most compelling human drama or engrossing narrative, but as a piece of survival, it’s alright. 3.15 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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